The Cambodian Garment Training Institute (CGTI) and the Association of Garment Manufacturers in Cambodia (GMAC), in close cooperation with UNESCO and the Department of Non-Formal Education (DNFE) of the Ministry of Education , Youth and Sports (MoEYS) organized a hybrid capacity building program Training of Trainers Workshop (ToT) for teachers of the Factory Literacy Program (FLP) from July 14 to 16, 2021. With 12 teachers from factories participating in the program, the three-day workshop was organized with the aim of reviewing lessons learned, challenges and introducing more techniques and training tools to better design and deliver lessons to literacy learners in the framework for adult learning and education (ALE).

Recently, with technical support from UNESCO, MoEYS formulated the two policy documents, namely Cambodia’s Education 2030 roadmap and the National Lifelong Learning Policy. UNESCO also helped the Department of Non-Formal Education to revise the literacy textbooks for Khmer and Mathematics subjects for levels 1 and 2. Successful completion of both levels will be recognized by MoEYS as the equivalent of 6th grade or completion of elementary school.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Andrew Tey, Director of the CGTI Center, expressed his sincere gratitude to the MoEYS and UNESCO teams for helping CGTI to make this capacity building workshop possible. This workshop is part of a series of activities under the partnership between CGTI and GMAC with UNESCO which was established in 2021 to support lifelong learning of literacy students in factories.

Mr. Danny Padilla, Head of the Education Unit at the UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh, began his address by reiterating the close cooperation between UNESCO, MoEYS and CGTI / GMAC aimed at strengthening the capacities of teachers in literacy and more particularly in the implementation of the Factory Literacy (FLP) program. He thanked MoEYS, literacy teachers, factory employers and all partners for their efforts, noting that as of December 2020, a total of 2,000 students (95% female) from target factories had completed program and received literacy certificates. which is equivalent to the 4th year of formal education.

Speaking on behalf of MoYES, Mr. Kuoch Koulom-A, Director of Non-Formal Education thanked the UNESCO office in Phnom Penh for the technical and financial support to NFE programs in Cambodia, and CGTI for organization of the capacity building workshop. He mentioned that the training meets the current needs of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is in line with the goal and vision of the Royal Government of Cambodia to improve resource capacity and efficiency. human beings to become a senior intermediary. income country by 2030 and a developed country by 2050.

This workshop is part of the second phase of the Decent Employment for Young People program in Cambodia with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and UNESCO.

UNESCO calls for accelerated investments in lifelong learning efforts to enable all Cambodian citizens to ‘qualify, develop and upgrade’ for Cambodia to maintain its impressive economic growth and consolidates peace and harmony in the country.